Changes in police force announced including Kenya Police, AP merger

President Uhuru Kenyatta and other leaders including Interior CS Fred Matiang'i at the security conference

President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced the merging of the Administration Police service and the Kenya Police Service, forming the General Duty Police Service. Speaking at a security meeting on the launch of a policy framework and strategy for reorganising the National Police Service at the Kenya School of Government, President Kenyatta said the two arms will be integrated to eliminate waste, duplication and overlap, “We will integrate the 39,680 Kenya Police and 24,572 Administration police into General Duty police officers under the command of the deputy Inspector General Kenya Police Service,” he said.

He said that will leave a total of 64,252 General Duty police officers, adding that given the unified command, there can now be better security for Kenyans. The joint force will have a new distinct uniform, which was displayed during the security meeting.

The General Duty Police uniforms

Other vital policy changes were announced by the President, including the issue of housing for police officers. He said to solve the problem of housing for police and prison officers and also to better integrate them with the Kenyans they serve, the policy of mandatory and free housing for junior officers in institutional houses is hereby abolished and instead, housing allowance for all ranks of the officers will be provided. “To effect the new policy I direct the national treasury to initiate the termination of all leases with landlords of police estates within 90 days of the effective date of new allowances,” he said.

He ordered all officers who are living in appaling conditions, shared houses or those housed in structures in police lines to vacate within 90 days of the new allowances to integrate themselves among communities and neighbourhoods.

Moreover, the deputy Inspector General Kenya Police Service will henceforth focus on public safety and security, the deputy Inspector General Administration Police will focus on protective and border security, combating cattle rustling and banditry, while the Director of Criminal Investigations will focus on criminal investigations.

The President further introduced the new chain of command, trickling from the Regional Police Commander (RPC), a County Police Commander (CPC) one Sub County Police Commander (SPC), to the Officer Commanding Police Station/ward commander (OCS). These, among other changes, are meant to not only boost service delivery but improve the effectiveness of the police force.